The “It gets better” video, which was posted this week on YouTube, is part of a campaign called “
It takes courage, Columbus” — a collaboration between Columbus police and the Columbus College of
Art & Design.

The video features several openly gay police officers sharing their experiences with
bullying.

The veteran police officers talk about their childhoods and the problems they faced with
bullying. A few officers talk about the expectations they faced and the isolation they felt.

They say they tried to hide that they were gay but eventually realized the need to be honest
with themselves. Two officers talk about how former employers harassed them because they were gay;
another says that, after he lost his job, he needed nine years to recover.

At the end of the video, each of the officers promises that life gets better for people who
endure.

Police Chief Kimberley Jacobs urged people who are being bullied to seek help and continue
looking until they find it.

The video circulated yesterday on Facebook, with several people praising the officers’
openness.